Please let me say grazie milli for this travel forum and all who participate. Working on itinerary for travel in Italy. Our first time traveling in Europe and feeling over whelmed. At first we were going to do a tour, but our main purpose for going is a first time meeting with relatives in Verona area and to visit the town my husband's grandparents were from, Terrasini, near Palermo, Sicily. I could not figure out how to leave and rejoin a tour. We do not speak Italian, but learning phrases. Bus and train travel is also foreign to us.
I need advice as to how much time to allow for travel by plane to and from Palermo. Should we take the train from Cinque Terre directly to Fiumicino Airport and then fly to Palermo all on the same day? Would it be better to take the train from Cinque Terre to Rome, stay the night in Rome and then take train from Rome to Fiumicino Airport the next day. I am worried about making the right connections from CT to Fiumicino and missing our plane to Palermo.
Next question when we return home to Michigan on October 17 our plane leaves Fiumicino airport at 11:15am. Should we try to take an early flight from Palermo which would arrive about 8:00am in Fiumicino Airport or fly to Fiumicino on October 16 stay the night near the airport ( if there is such a place)? When should I buy the train tickets?
This is what we have planned so far;
Arrival on October 2nd and departure on October 17 from Fiumicino Airport.
Staying first three nights in Rome, Oct 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.
October 5th in Venice.
October 6th and 7th in Verona to visit with relatives.
Plan to go to CT from Verona.
Plan to go to Palermo, Sicily.
Thank you for your advice.
Posted by
🏝️ Hobe Sound, FL⛱️
3303 posts
To get to Palermo, I would take the train to Pisa. Ryan Air has non-stop flights which take about 1 1/2 hrs.
In regard to leaving for home, you might take the flight that leaves at 6 AM to give you an extra cushion. But I’d personally take the Alitalia flight that departs at 7:30 - I’m a bit of a risk taker!
If you decide to fly up the night before, there is a Hilton at FCO walking distance from the terminal. If you want a less expensive option, go to a hotel booking site and search for the city of Fiumcino. There are a lot of hotels and normally offer shuttle service to the airport for about €7.
Posted by
Central Connecticut, USA
1103 posts
When we went to Sicily in April 2016 we stayed in Rome on either end of the trip. For the first part of your trip, you might be better off staying a night in Rome before continuing on to Sicily. It is always better to be closer to the airport on the day of your flight. A lot could happen that would cause you to miss the flight from Rome to Palermo.
Re: Leaving Sicily. You might find it more relaxing to fly to Rome on the day before you return home. This way, you wouldn't have to get up super-early at the end of your stay in Sicily. Also, delays in the flight from Palermo to Rome may cause you to miss the 11:15 flight from Rome to your home in the US. It sounds like you already have your flight booked from Rome to the US. If so, then the flight from Palermo to Rome would have to be on a separate ticket. In that case, there would be no obligation by the airline to make sure you make your connection in Rome. If you were in Rome on the night before the flight home, you would not have to necessarily stay at the airport. You could, for example, stay close to Termini train station and take the Leonardo Express to the airport. Staying near Termini would also make sense if you were taking a train from CT to Rome on the previous day.
The Aberdeen is a good choice for a hotel in Rome near Termini.
Another option is to fly from Milan to Palermo instead of Rome to Palermo. There are many nonstop flights from Milan to Sicily, and Milan is closer to Cinque Terre.
Posted by
Atlanta
5273 posts
Going from the middle of the country (Rome) to the north (Verona / Venice) then southwest (CT) then south (Sicily), and then north back to Rome will eat up a lot of time getting from Point A to Point B. Perhaps fly into Milan or Venice and see relatives in Verona. Then go to the CT, then to Sicily, and then to Rome and fly home from there. Just a thought.
Posted by
Minneapolis
1274 posts
I would just like to add encouragement that you are doing a good job planning, and your trip should work out great! I know it can seem overwhelming, but if you just break it down to one step at a time, it becomes manageable. As far as train tix, the reason to book ahead is that you will save money if you are willing to lock in an exact date and time. But this is only for the longer, high speed trains; the one I see on your list would be Rome to Venice on Oct 5. For that one, (stations Roma Termini to Venezia S Lucia) you can buy now online for 26 Euro per person; if you wait and buy when there, it will be the 'base' price of 87 Euro per person. Use trenitalia.com or trainline.eu. For your other train trips, the discounts will be less, you may want to just wait and buy when in Italy. Enjoy your trip!
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Thank you, Philip, Bob, and CT, for your well thought out advice. Husband and I read over your replies and will take the safer connections. I will also purchase the high speed train ticket soon. Thank you so much for the words of encouragement!